"I donated stem cells for you. I gave up everything to take care of you until you were discharged. And this is how you repay me?"

Louis didn't show an ounce of guilt. Instead, he said with undisguised impatience:

"Miscarriage? Nearly died on the operating table? Do you actually believe your own lies now?"

"And can you stop bringing up that old crap every single day?"

Looking at the raw contempt in his eyes, I suddenly realized how ridiculous I looked arguing with him.

I nodded slowly and said, meaning every word:

"You're right. It's all in the past. Louis, we're done."

Louis laughed. He thought he had me all figured out.

"Done? This is just another one of your tricks to drive a wedge between me and Kathy."

"Your mother's gone. I'm all you have left now. You'd never actually leave me."

A chill spread through my chest.

So that was what he thought. No wonder he'd been so fearless all along.

But he was wrong.

I didn't bother arguing. I stepped around him to leave, but he grabbed my arm and held on tight.

"No. You're not going anywhere."

"Kathy is miserable right now because of you. You're going over there and apologizing to her."

"Once you've cheered her up, I'll personally drive you to the airport."

"And if I don't?" I asked calmly.

Louis was silent for a moment. Then, his voice turned ice-cold:

"If you refuse to go, I'll have your mother's ashes dug up and scattered into the ocean."

I stared at him in disbelief.

His shamelessness shattered every last illusion I'd ever held about him.

I drew a deep breath and finally lowered my head.

"Fine. I'll go."

Louis drove me to a seaside villa. That was when I discovered he'd been keeping Kathy tucked away here behind my back.

Kathy looked at me with smug satisfaction.

"Daphne, you're here to apologize? Do three things for me, and I'll forgive you."

"First, you take explicit photos of yourself and post them online."

"Back when you made things difficult for me and Louis, you stood there with a camera pointed at me. That was the worst nightmare of my life. Now I want you to tell the whole world exactly what you are: trash."

I turned and fixed my eyes on Louis.

Was he really going to make me do what she said?

His expression shifted several times before he finally spoke, his voice low.

"Daphne, you owe her this."

Then he reached over and tore at my clothes himself, snapping a photo that made my skin crawl with humiliation.